Waterford Wildlife

Some Waterford Wildlife Places

Information about local animals and plants can be gleaned in a variety of ways. The hard way is to go into the countryside and try and find out by searching for animals, their tracks and spoor. An easier way is to go to a local library and read about what has already been written about local populations of flowers, insects or other animals. In doing the latter, clues can sometimes be discovered from books that were never intended to be wildlife works of reference. Such a book is the late Rev. P. Canon Power’s scholarly ‘The Place-names of Decies’ published by Cork University Press in 1952. In this, he records the names of places in Waterford and their meanings. As many names still in common usage are of great antiquity, those referring to animals and plants indicate that animals were in these places probably in early Celtic times and probably much earlier than this. These names also indicate what animals were then considered to be important from an economical or survival viewpoint – can you eat them?: or from a self preservation viewpoint – do you avoid them! The latter would include wolves and no less than 15 places in Waterford are named after the wolf. These include the townland of Glenavaddra near Whitechurch and Curraghnamadree in the parish of Colligan, itself the Hazel Abounding Place. Hazels are still there. Eleven places are named after the heath hen – the Red Grouse, a good bird to eat: six are named after Geese and four are named after Ducks. A total of eleven places refer to localities where Deer were present and Rabbits figure in seven place-names including the Cunniger near Dungarvan and Glashnaghoneen near Whitechurch.

Other birds fit for the pot are also mentioned. Plovers have six places named after them and include Reanavidoge in the Drum Hills and Curraghphillifreen in the parish of Mothel. Crows which were commonly eaten in former times have twenty eight places named after them and Gulls have five. Edible fishes are mentioned in thirteen place-names and seals in five.

Plants with place-names include alder and ash: blackthorn, bramble and broom: hazel and heather: holly, moss and myrtle and oak is mentioned nine times. The humble Daisy has two places named after it and one of these is to me the nicest name in Decies – Knockeennooneen - the Little Hill of the Daisies. It implies that the Celts still had time to smell the daisies and had such an appreciation of a simple flower that they named places after it. Compare this simple and meaningful name to those that the developers are now inflicting on the people of Waterford. We have a Viewmount without a view, a Cherrymount with no mount and no cherries, Chestnut places with no chestnuts and a Belvedere Drive with no belvedere to mention just a few. However, maybe in 1000 year’s time, someone will say of Woodlawn Grove, "well there must have been a wood and a lawn and a grove there at sometime!" Little will they know – or maybe it’s the Celts who had the wry sense of humour!

Gray Wolf photo Paddy Dwan